San kuo; or, Romance of the three kingdoms (volume 1 of 2)Luo, Guanzhong
History
San kuo; or, Romance of the three kingdoms (volume 1 of 2)
Luo, Guanzhong
China -- History -- Three kingdoms, 220-265 -- Fiction
In the last chapter it was recorded that Chang Fei was about to end his
life with his own weapon. But his brother rushed forward and caught him
in his arms, snatched away the sword and threw it on the earth saying,
“Brothers are hands and feet; wives and children are as clothing. You
may mend your torn dress, but who can re-attach a lost limb? We three,
by the Oath of the Peach Garden, swore to seek the same death-day. The
city is lost, it is true, and my wife and little ones, but I could not
bear that we should die ere our course be run. Beside, the city was not
really mine and Lü Pu will not harm my family but will rather seek to
preserve them. You made a mistake, worthy brother, but is it one
deserving of death?”
And he wept. His brothers were much affected and their tears fell in
sympathy.
As soon as the news of Lü Pu’s successful seizure of his protector’s
district reached Yüan Shu, he sent promises of valuable presents to Lü
to induce him to join in a further attack on Liu Pei. The presents are
said to have been fifty thousand measures of grain, five hundred
horses, ten thousand taels of gold and silver and a thousand pieces of
coloured silk. Lü Pu swallowed the bait and ordered Kao Shun to lead
forth five legions. But Liu Pei heard of the threatened attack, so he
made inclement weather an excuse to disband his few soldiers and left
Hsüi, before the attacking force came up.
However, Kao Shun demanded the promised reward through Chi Ling, who
put him off saying, “My lord has gone away, I will settle this as soon
as I can see him and get his decision.”
With this answer Kao Shun returned to Lü Pu, who could not decide what
to do. Then came a letter from Yüan Shu saying that although Kao Shun
had gone to attack Liu Pei, yet Pei had not been destroyed and no
reward could be given till he was actually taken. Lü Pu railed at what
he called the breach of faith and was inclined to attack Yüan Shu
himself. However, his adviser opposed this course, saying, “You should
not; he is in possession of Shouchʻun and has a large army, well
supplied. You are no match for him. Rather ask Liu Pei to take up his
quarters at Hsiaopʻei as one of your wings and, when the time comes,
let him lead the attack. Then both the Yüans will fall before you and
you will be very powerful.”
Finding this advice good he sent letters to Yüan-tê asking him to
return.
The story of Liu Pei’s attack on Kuangling, the attack on his camp and
his losses, has been told. On his way back he met the messenger from Lü
Pu, who presented the letter. Yüan-tê was quite content with the offer
but his brothers were not inclined to trust Lü.
“Since he treats me kindly, I cannot but trust him,” replied Yüan-tê.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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